diff --git a/asterix-installer/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/installer/events/PatternCreator.java b/asterix-installer/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/installer/events/PatternCreator.java
index 4216978..0f382f9 100644
--- a/asterix-installer/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/installer/events/PatternCreator.java
+++ b/asterix-installer/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/installer/events/PatternCreator.java
@@ -315,14 +315,11 @@
         List<Pattern> patternList = new ArrayList<Pattern>();
         Cluster cluster = instance.getCluster();
         Nodeid nodeid = null;
-        String pargs = null;
         Event event = null;
         for (Node node : cluster.getNode()) {
-            String iodevices = node.getIodevices() == null ? cluster.getIodevices() : node.getIodevices();
-            String primaryIODevice = iodevices.split(",")[0].trim();
-            pargs = primaryIODevice + File.separator + InstallerUtil.TXN_LOG_DIR;
+            String txnLogDir = node.getTxnLogDir() == null ? cluster.getTxnLogDir() : node.getTxnLogDir();
             nodeid = new Nodeid(new Value(null, node.getId()));
-            event = new Event("file_delete", nodeid, pargs);
+            event = new Event("file_delete", nodeid, txnLogDir);
             patternList.add(new Pattern(null, 1, null, event));
         }
 
diff --git a/asterix-transactions/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/transaction/management/service/locking/LockWaiterManager.java b/asterix-transactions/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/transaction/management/service/locking/LockWaiterManager.java
index dbe76ff..bd414de 100644
--- a/asterix-transactions/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/transaction/management/service/locking/LockWaiterManager.java
+++ b/asterix-transactions/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/transaction/management/service/locking/LockWaiterManager.java
@@ -223,45 +223,35 @@
      */
     private void shrink() {
         int i;
-        boolean bContiguous = true;
-        int decreaseCount = 0;
+        int removeCount = 0;
         int size = pArray.size();
         int maxDecreaseCount = size / 2;
         ChildLockWaiterArrayManager child;
-        for (i = size - 1; i >= 0; i--) {
-            child = pArray.get(i);
-            if (child.isEmpty() || child.isDeinitialized()) {
-                if (bContiguous) {
-                    pArray.remove(i);
-                    if (++decreaseCount == maxDecreaseCount) {
-                        break;
-                    }
-                } else {
-                    bContiguous = false;
-                    if (child.isEmpty()) {
-                        child.deinitialize();
-                        if (++decreaseCount == maxDecreaseCount) {
-                            break;
-                        }
-                    }
-                }
-            } else {
-                bContiguous = false;
+
+        //The first buffer never be deinitialized.
+        for (i = 1; i < size; i++) {
+            if (pArray.get(i).isEmpty()) {
+                pArray.get(i).deinitialize();
             }
         }
 
-        //reset allocChild when the child is removed or deinitialized.
-        size = pArray.size();
-        if (allocChild >= size || pArray.get(allocChild).isDeinitialized()) {
-            //set allocChild to any initialized one.
-            //It is guaranteed that there is at least one initialized child.
-            for (i = 0; i < size; i++) {
-                if (!pArray.get(i).isDeinitialized()) {
-                    allocChild = i;
+        //remove the empty buffers from the end
+        for (i = size - 1; i >= 1; i--) {
+            child = pArray.get(i);
+            if (child.isDeinitialized()) {
+                pArray.remove(i);
+                if (++removeCount == maxDecreaseCount) {
                     break;
                 }
+            } else {
+                break;
             }
         }
+        
+        //reset allocChild to the first buffer
+        allocChild = 0;
+
+        isShrinkTimerOn = false;
     }
 
     public String prettyPrint() {
diff --git a/asterix-transactions/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/transaction/management/service/logging/LogManager.java b/asterix-transactions/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/transaction/management/service/logging/LogManager.java
index 199fd0f..38d39cc 100644
--- a/asterix-transactions/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/transaction/management/service/logging/LogManager.java
+++ b/asterix-transactions/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/transaction/management/service/logging/LogManager.java
@@ -259,9 +259,16 @@
             }
 
             if (forwardPage) {
-
+                logPages[prevPage].acquireReadLatch();
+                // increment the counter as the transaction thread now holds a
+                // space in the log page and hence is an owner.
+                logPages[prevPage].incRefCnt();
+                logPages[prevPage].releaseReadLatch();
+                
                 // forward the nextWriteOffset in the log page
-                logPages[pageIndex].setBufferNextWriteOffset(logPageSize);
+                logPages[prevPage].setBufferNextWriteOffset(logPageSize);
+                
+                logPages[prevPage].decRefCnt();
 
                 addFlushRequest(prevPage, old, false);
 
@@ -433,7 +440,7 @@
 
                 // indicating that the transaction thread has released ownership
                 decremented = true;
-                
+
                 addFlushRequest(pageIndex, currentLSN, false);
             } else if (logType == LogType.COMMIT) {
 
@@ -872,16 +879,16 @@
                         if (logManager.getLastFlushedLsn().get() + 1 > logManager.getCurrentLsn().get()) {
                             logManager.getCurrentLsn().set(logManager.getLastFlushedLsn().get() + 1);
                         }
-                        
+
                         // Map the log page to a new region in the log file if the flushOffset reached the logPageSize
                         if (afterFlushOffset == logPageSize) {
-                            long diskNextWriteOffset = logManager.getLogPages()[flushPageIndex].getDiskNextWriteOffset()
-                                    + logBufferSize;
+                            long diskNextWriteOffset = logManager.getLogPages()[flushPageIndex]
+                                    .getDiskNextWriteOffset() + logBufferSize;
                             logManager.resetLogPage(logManager.getLastFlushedLsn().get() + 1 + logBufferSize,
                                     diskNextWriteOffset, flushPageIndex);
                             resetFlushPageIndex = true;
                         }
-                        
+
                         // decrement activeTxnCountOnIndexes
                         logManager.decrementActiveTxnCountOnIndexes(flushPageIndex);